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Film review: The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017)

It has taken me a long time to forgive Samuel L. Jackson for his involvement in Snakes on a Plane.

The trauma from the line “I have had it, with these mother f$!#ing snakes, on this mother f$!#ing plane!” has haunted me ever since. I think it’s because I could not comprehend the film as a serious action (although many action films have the comedy sub-genre).

However, Jackson is a hard working actor that seems to be everywhere and slowly but surely he has snuck his way into my admirations. I think the turning point was watching the Tarantino films Pulp Fiction (1994) and Jackie Brown (1997) where I could see his acting style and Tarantino gives him the magic touch.

So, giving The Hitman’s Bodyguard a chance was a no brainer. I knew that it would be slightly comedic, fantastically violent and keep me entertained. Plus, Reynolds and Jackson seem to be a good “buddy team” with similar acting styles (Reynolds in Deadpool (2016) and Blade: Trinity 2004).

There is nothing better than a high-action film building up the audience’s suspense and anxiety to then release it through the laughter of a punchline.

Samuel L. Jackson in The Hitman’s Bodyguard | Lionsgate

The plotline is creative and somewhat unpredictable.

Yes, Russia, British and American accents in a film is as predictable as it gets with action/spy films but it all adds to the context and tensions of the cold-war. But having a hitman agree to testify against a president for war-crimes is a story line you couldn’t come up with every day.

Adding a few background features of the character, Kincaid gave him a likability factor through his appreciation of love being the most important thing in life and his justification behind killing his targets. They also follow the rule; initial conflict in the beginning of the friendship between Bryce and Kincaid which then blossoms into a bromance.